The shortlist for this year’s Finance for the Future Awards is unveiled today by the founding organisations, ICAEW and A4S, and their partner Deloitte. The awards highlight good business practice, by recognising the role of finance in helping to embed sustaianbility into organisations’ decision making. Now in it eigth year, the ceremony will take place on 10 October.These awards are unique in looking at the crucial role financial decision makers play in creating sustainable business models. The awards show examples of leading practice and inspiring others to take action on sustainability. Rabobank is shortlisted in the category ‘Building sustainable financial products’ and ABN AMRO Bank N.V. in 2 categories: ‘Communicating Integrated Thinking’ and ‘Embedding an Integrated Approach’.
The 2019 categories and finalists are:
Building sustainable financial products – Recognises organisations that have developed new financial products or services that are aimed at driving sustainable outcomes:
Accounting for Energy (UK)
Contact Energy (New Zealand)
Ecology Building Society (UK)
Octopus Investments (UK)
Rabobank (Netherlands)
Zigway (Myanmar)
Communicating Integrated Thinking – Recognises organisations that are demonstrating clearly, through communicating to their providers of financial capital, how sustainability is embedded into their overall strategy and decision-making process:
ABN AMRO (Netherlands)
Severn Trent (UK)
S&P Global (US)
Tideway (UK)
Yorkshire Water (UK)
Driving change through education, training and academia – Recognises the contribution of individuals, organisations or joint-entrants in driving action to integrate sustainability through education, training and academia:
Accounting Bissim (UK)
Climate & Finance at Imperial College Business School: Centre for Climate Finance & Investment and MSc Climate Change Management & Finance
CSEAR (UK)
Harvard Business School: Business & Environment Initiative (BEI) and Social Enterprise Initiative (SEI) (US)
The Thinking Ahead Institute (UK)
Embedding an Integrated Approach – Recognises the finance team’s leadership in embedding integrated thinking and decision making across their organisation:
ABN AMRO (Netherlands)
Landsec (UK)
Stora Enso Oyj (Finland)
SSE (UK)
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (India)
Tesco plc (UK)
Innovative project – Recognises innovative projects, led by or with the clear involvement of the finance team, that have the potential to transform an organisation into a more sustainable one:
City of Vancouver (Canada)
Hindustan Unilever (India)
SteamaCo (UK)
Sainsbury’s (UK)
Xylem (US)
Investing and financing – this award focuses on the adoption of an integrated approach across core investment and financing processes within financial services organisations:
Carbon Delta AG (Switzerland)
DNB ASA (Norway)
Globalance Bank (Switzerland)
PIMCO (UK)
TSKB (Turkey)
Richard Spencer, Head of Sustainability at ICAEW said: “The Finance for the Future Awards process is a wonderful way to connect with, and hear the stories of people who are dealing with how they and/or their organisations benefit the planet and society as part of the way they do business. Each year we have seen a greater diversity and geographic spread of entrants demonstrating leading integrated thinking and action. This year has been no exception with an impressive field of contenders.”
Helen Slinger, Executive Director, A4S, said: “Embedding social and environmental considerations into key financial decisions can improve performance. The finalists of these Awards demonstrate why all finance leaders should be considering broader factors; for the future of the planet, society and their organisations.”
Veronica Poole, global IFRS leader and UK head of corporate reporting at Deloitte, said: “This year’s shortlist demonstrates the strength that some organisations are showing in moving towards long-term sustainability. I am particularly encouraged by the number of finalists where organisations are taking action on the climate crisis. Showcasing some leading examples of those adopting integrated thinking is particularly timely in the UK – given the renewed focus on directors’ duty to promote the long-term success of their business – and should also be of interest worldwide. Integrated thinking takes into account the interests of employees, customers, suppliers and the environment, and is a growing focus for investors and policy makers.”
